First Trailer for Indie Musical 'Saturday Church' Set in New York City

"You want to join them?" Samuel Goldwyn Films has debuted the first official trailer for an indie musical titled Saturday Church, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. The film is being described as Moonlight meets La La Land (of course these two films are named), but set in New York City. The story follows a 14-year-old boy named Ulysses, struggling with gender identity and religion, who begins to use fantasy to escape his life in the inner city and find his passion in the process. Broadway up-and-comer Luka Kain stars as vibrant youngster Ulysses, with a cast including Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Mj Rodriguez, Marquis Rodriguez, and Indya Moore. Saturday Church also features songs and music composed and co-written by musician-turned-film composer Nathan Larson. This looks like a triumphant, uplifting, inspiring film from NYC. And this reminds me of the excellent documentary Kiki. Worth a watch.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Damon Cardasis' Saturday Church, direct from YouTube:

Tells the story of 14-year-old Ulysses, a shy and effeminate boy, who finds himself coping with new responsibilities as “man of the house” after the death of his father. Living alongside his mother, younger brother, and conservative aunt, Ulysses is also struggling with questions about his gender identity. He finds an escape by creating a world of fantasy filled with dance and music. Ulysses’ journey takes a turn for the better when he encounters a vibrant transgender community, who take him to "Saturday Church," a program for LGBTQ youth. Ulysses manages to keep his two worlds apart; appeasing his aunt and discovering his passion for the NYC ball scene, and voguing, until his double life is revealed. Ulysses must find the courage to be who he truly is, all while risking losing those he cares about most.Saturday Church is written and directed by filmmaker Damon Cardasis, making his feature directorial debut after work as a producer. This premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and also played the London Film Festival. Samuel Goldwyn will release Cardasis' Saturday Church in select theaters + on VOD starting January 12th, 2018.